Interview with Dr. Parit Patel

Parit Patel, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon with subspecialty training in craniofacial surgery. He obtained a master’s degree in physiology and a doctorate of medicine from the Chicago Medical School. Afterwards, Dr. Patel completed an integrated plastic surgery residency at the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, consistently ranked in the top 3 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals ranking. He subsequently completed a craniofacial fellowship at the world renown NYU Langone Medical Center/Hansjorg Wyss department of plastic surgery, ranked number 2 by Doximity as one of the best plastic surgery programs in the U.S. As a committed lifelong learner, he is currently obtaining his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Dr. Patel has extensive research experience, he has presented and published over 50 papers at national and international meetings and in scientific journals. His research has focused on using 3D printing in craniofacial surgery and he has received grants and numerous awards for the quality of his research. After practicing academic plastic surgery for many years, Dr. Patel recently founded and is active Chief Medical Officer of the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Chicago, a private plastic and reconstructive surgery practice located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Dr. Patel will be a speaker at our Chicago event.

Jenny: What inspired you to use 3D printing for your work?

PP: Plastic surgery is a field that was founded on and values innovation. As technology evolves, the application and role technology play in plastic surgery techniques has also rapidly changed. The ability to precisely plan a surgery in the preoperative setting using 3-D printing is a fascinating concept.

Jenny: What is the biggest motivation for your work?

PP: The biggest motivation for my work is developing a way to improve surgical precision and efficiency through 3-D printing technology in order to improve outcomes and reduce health costs.

Jenny: What is the biggest challenge in your work?

PP: The biggest challenge is understanding the true cost of delivering health care and services, which is a complicated enigma.

Jenny: How do you approach working with people of differing backgrounds?

PP: I approach working with people of differing backgrounds with enthusiasm since the diversity of thought and ideas is a source of exciting innovation.

Jenny: What is your vision on the potential impact of your current work to the future of medicine?

PP: The impact of my current work on the future of medicine is that any time you can improve precision and efficiency in a particular phase of the patient care process, you can improve patient outcomes. Improving patient outcomes is the ultimate impact all physicians strive for.

Jenny: What do you like to do in your spare time?

PP: I like staying active through exercise and I love to travel. I truly value spending quality time with my family and friends. To me, that’s what life is all about!